Mr Monk and the gift
by nilescclover
Summary: Mr. Monk wants one thing for his birthday i bet you can guess what that is and Randy has a way to give it to him. But will it cost Mr. Monk and Natalie to lose their lives? please read and review.
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Monk or any of the characters from the show…..yadda, yadda, yadda…..but they own my dreams, (thanks).

The following story, comes from a dream I had about the show Monk. It is looking

through the eyes of Natalie. It was a very weird dream for me because I'm usually Monk

not Natalie. I had this dream about Monk and Natalie in some strange place without walls and ceiling, but there was also no ground. So that's where the 1st idea started from. I started writing this a full steam Monday (12/7/09) night with somewhat of an outline and now it's almost finished. Well now on Tuesday (12/15/09) it's done.

Please read and review. I would like to know what you think of it. So if you don't like it tell me so. So if you see something that I missed let me know that too. I like to take the good and the bad reviews. It makes me a better writer; I love to write even though I was never good in the English/Lit classes that I took, in both high school and in college. I was more math/science kind of person.

So go figure. Why do I like it now? I have no idea. I have other stories in my head about Monk. I wrote one a long time ago but never finished it (that was a continuation of monk on the run) so I guess now I will have to finish that one too. So I hope you enjoy this story. I call it Mr. Monk and the Gift……

I made it though my first Friday night without a Monk, ok new Monk but I made it.

Mr. Monk and the gift

Chapter 1:

I got the phone call every parent especially a mother dreads. A phone call from the police, it wasn't the captain, Leland Stottlemeyer with a case for us either. No not this time, it was what I could tell from a young officer. Maybe even a local. That could only mean one thing. The thing I never wanted to hear again, but here I was listened for the message about….Julie.

"Is this Ms. Teeger," he asked me. Then that is when I knew that something was the matter, something was wrong, very wrong.

"Yes,….what?….Arrested for what?….I'm on my way." I slammed the phone down. What kind of trouble did she get herself into now? I told her those friends that she was hanging around were no good for her. Now she got her arrested and for what? "Ahhh." I screamed.

"Natalie what's wrong?" I heard Mr. Monk say from the kitchen, his voice was somewhat muted. That could only mean one thing, that he was raiding my fridge again.

"Mr. Monk, I have to go pick up Julie."

"Now," I looked over at the countertop, where there was a plate with a sandwich on it. "I just made lunch." He picked up his sandwich, "I hope that you don't mind."

"No," I shook my head, more to try to clear my thoughts then anything. "We have to go…"

"Can I finish this…." He looked down at his plate where his sandwich was. "Look it's perfectly square."

"Alright, but I can't wait."

"Then why don't you go get her and let me eat this."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright here? I mean alone?"

"I'm eating a sandwich what could go wrong?"

"Plenty knowing you." He gave me a sad, confused look. "It was a joke, Mr. Monk."

"Oh funny," I don't really think he got it though.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours, are you sure?"

"Go, I'll be fine." He looked up at me from his plate.

I hesitated to leave him alone, especially at my house but I couldn't waist any more time I had to go find out what happened to Julie. "Remember…."

"I'll call you, don't worry." Don't worry, was he kidding, that's all I ever do is worry about him. I worry when he doesn't call.

On the way to pick up my daughter Julie, I went over what I was going to say to her. I mean, I don't want her to hate me an all but I want to be firm with her. I bit those friends of hers set her up for something; she's not a bad kid. Sometimes, I wish that Mitch, my late husband, were here to get through to her cause everything I say to her, she seems not to listen to me. I mean I guess it could be those growing up years.

Once I got on the scene though, I wanted to kill her. There were a lot of cop cars, firemen and even an ambulance, in front of a house, that was engulfed in flames. Oh no what did she do? I walked up the first officer I saw.

"What's going on?" I asked looking at the house, shaking my head. God only knows what they were going in there. My first thought was a methlab blew up but that didn't seem to fit with her.

"A house fire, looks like arson." He looked at me, "Are you the owner of the house?"

"No, Natalie Teeger, I was called….."

"Oh, yeah. The mother of one of the suspects." He turned his head and yelled for Joey.

"He'll be right with you Ma'am." Then the officer walked away.

Joey, the officer in charge I suspected, shook my hand and went over what he thought happened here. He led me to where they had Julie, in the back of one of their police cursers. I shook my head a pond seeing her. She knew that I had my disappointed look on my face. The officer could see it too. I was sure that she was going to be charged with arson but Joey surprised me.

"I'll let you guys off when a warning, only cause the house is abandon, but." His voice got sterner. "If I catch you around here again, I will charge you for two accounts." He turned towards me. "Now, take her home and talk to her."

"Oh, you know I will. A nice and long one." I glared at her. She just hung her head. The officer took the handcuffs off her. "Remember I don't want to see you again, got it young lady."

"Yes, sir." She spoke softly. Joey just nodded at me.

"What am I going to do with you Julie," I took her by the arm and led her to my car. "Get in." I gave her a slight shove. She knew I meant business. She slowly got in the car. I sighed. "How could you? How could you hang out with these kind of people?"

"Cause they are my friends." She commented looking away from me.

"Oh great," I said as I started up the car. "What kind of friends, set houses on fire? Someone could have been in there."

"Noone was, they're abandon houses."

"You don't know that." My voice was rising, I had to clam it down. "A homeless person might be in there." I pulled away from the scene, watching the firefighters fight the blazes.

"They were just abandoned houses."

"But that's still a crime." I let out a long breath. How could she be so stupid? I told her that playing with fire was wrong not to mention dangerous." We sat in silence for a few minutes. "I don't want you to talk to them anymore."

"But mom they're my friends."

"Friends that I don't want you to see any more, not while you're in my house."

"That's not fair!" she shouted. "I…."

"If you don't like it then move out." I wasn't serious but she didn't know that. I moved my eyes towards her. I could tell that she was thinking some. "But till you decide on that, you are grounded."

"Grounded," she shot back.

"Yes, I have to get through to you some how, so no friends, no phone, no tv…nothing."

"You mean, no life."

"If that's how you see it then yes." She turned to face the passenger window.

"How long?"

"We will start with one month then see."

"Then see? What's that mean?"

"I've seen to much working for Mr. Monk and I just don't want you to get hurt or hurt someone or even go to jail. Next time these so called friends are going to go away to jail. I don't want one of them to be you. I love you too much, I want to help you….."

She just stayed silently looking out the window at the streets going by.


	2. Chapter 2

I was still quite upset when we arrived home. Was any of this sinking in with her? I couldn't tell. I fumbled with the keys. The house was quiet when I finally got the door opened. That was strange.

"Now go to your room young lady and think about what I said."

Julie stormed up the stairs, "Fine I will." She shouted. I shook my head, teenagers go figure.

"Mr. Monk we're back." I called thinking he would still be in the kitchen. Maybe he was cleaning my house. I didn't see him. That was strange, I told him to stay right here.

"Mr. Monk." I called out again. Still nothing. I wonder where he could be? He was right here. Were we gone that long that he had to leave and if he did where would he go?

"Hello…" I called as I placed my keys and purse down on the table in the den. Not a peep. Now I was getting kind of worried about him. I went to the edge of the stairs.

"Julie have you seen Mr. Monk?"

" Isn't that for you to do?" she responded in her wonderful attitude voice.

"I just left him here, I thought he might have wondered up there?" sheech. Sorry for caring so much.

"No, I don't see him." She yelled back. I sighed, that's not like him to just vanish on me like that. I mean where would he go? I shook the thought. Maybe the captain came and got him but why didn't he leave a note or call me. I sat on the couch, opened my cell phone and called captain Stottlemeyer.

He answered on like the tenth ring. "Natalie it's good to hear from you."

"Have you seen Mr. Monk?"

"No," when I heard him say that, my heart fell out of my chest. My mind started to fill with panic. "Why what happened to him?"

"I don't know." I tried to calm myself down but it wasn't happening. "I left him here at my place so I could go pick up my daughter cause she…that's a long story there. Anyway I left him here." I went on without taking a breath.

"Alone? You left him alone?" the captain practically shouted at me. That wasn't helping me at all.

"Yes, I thought he would be fine. He said…."

"He said what? That he would be fine there. Never listen to what he says, I mean about that."

"You think something has happened to him." Now I was really worried, if the captain didn't trust him. I took at deep breath. How much trouble could he have gotten into. I looked up at the door from some reason, wait a minute my door was locked. If he left he must have taken my key with him. I got up and checked; sure enough my extra keys were gone.

"He took my keys."

"Keys?"

"Yes, my extra house keys." I started to pace the floor now. Trying to think of where he might have gone. I was coming up empty. "Where do you think he went?"

"Not to worry maybe he's with Randy."

"Randy? You think he's with Randy." I didn't believe that for a minute. They didn't spend that much time together but I guess it could be a possibility. A really long shot at that but I guess it could happen.

"Don't worry we will find him." The captain tried to reinsure me. It was helping a little. I sat back down on the couch. Captain told me that he would call Randy and see.

My mind was racing after I got off the phone with the captain. I was, at this point, too nervous to do much of anything. I must have been staring at the floor for some time cause when the phone in my hands rang I jumped about ten feet. The phone fell on the floor.

"Calm down mom," Julie, who must have been watching me from the stairs, reached to pick it up for me. "It's just your cell phone." She handed it to me, "It's the captain." I grabbed the phone from her. I clutched the receiver to my ear and listened.


	3. Chapter 3

The captain told me that he talked to Randy and not to worry that Mr. Monk was with him. I was so relieved at that but what the captain told me next had me worrying all over again. He said that Randy and Mr. Monk were at a church on Katherine Street.

A church. Mr. Monk in a church, I almost laughed at that. and Randy, when was the last time that he went?

"I know that's funny," the captain said. "But that's where they say they are."

"And do you believe them?" I asked him. I on the other hand had my doubts.

"Um…I believe Randy a little more then Monk but not all that much."

"Should I go check on them?"

"No, what kind of trouble could they get into at the church…." The captain's voice faded off some. What happened at this church? It had to do with Trudy, I bet. That's why he went there. It was all about Trudy! I heard the captain sigh in the phone, it was like he was holding back a sniffle.

"That's the church that Monk and Trudy got married in." the captain was just able to finish before I could hear, through the phone that was, him blowing his nose.

"Oh, he's visiting her," I commented.

"Yeah he does it every year. I forgot."

"Well, that's good to know. Now I can stop worry, well some what about him."

I could understand him possibly going there but why not just tell me in a note that he was. Something to this story didn't quite add up. Something else was going on but what. I wanted to see for myself if that is where he went. I told Julie that I wanted her to stay here, that I was going out to check on them.

"Where am I going to go?" I think that she was mocking me now. I shook my head and headed out the door. Rain had just started out and it was going down hard.

The church was quiet and looked black to me. There was no sign of anyone near here. I spotted Randy's; well I think it was Randy's old pickup truck near the side of the church. That has to be Randy's truck. I got out of my car wondering what I was going to find inside. I myself had not been to church in a long time either. I wondered what the two of them would be doing in there.

I opened the door, with some effort, wow what a heavy door. It's not like anyone's going to break in here. The lights where dim, I could hardly see anything much less anyone. I took out my flashlight; yes I carry a flashlight with me now and then, just so I could see where I was going. Now this was very creepy, this was creepier then going to the cemetery at night. I opened another door. I could hear the clicking of my shoes on the marble tile floor with every step I made.

"Hello." I called and my voice echoed. I walked in the main room where a dome like ceiling was above me, and chandelier type lights hanging down. This must have been a really old fashion church. I made my way down the center aisle along side rows and rows of out of wood. I saw Randy standing near the front of the church holding a black book in his hands. As I was looking around I saw what I thought was a man laying just beyond some candles.

What was going on in here? I've never seen this before. I walked closer to Randy. That's when I saw that the man that was laying there was none other then Mr. Monk, his lifeless body just laying there surrounded in a circle of red lit candles. I shook my head to make sure that I wasn't dreaming.

Why was he laying there? I looked over at Randy, this was all his idea, Mr. Monk would never have done this himself, there's no way. Mr. Monk was too scared of the germs on any floor. I was about to run over there to where Mr. Monk was laying but Randy grabbed me around my waist.

"Let go of me." I shouted at him. I hated anyone to grab me, especially around the waist.

"I have to help him if he's hurt." I struggle to get free from his grip. I even scratched him with my fingernails but he would let me go. Why? What was he hiding?

"He's just fine." Randy said, his voice sounded funny to me. Not like the Randy I knew.

"How can you say that?" I yelled still keeping my eyes on Mr. Monk lifeless body. "Look at him!"

"He's fine, I tell you." I finally got out of Randy's grip and ran over to see from myself. I stopped right next to his body, and looked down. He did look peaceful with both his arms lying across his midsection but why wasn't he moving. He, to me, looked like someone who was in a casket but without the casket.

"Is he?" I had to ask anyway, it was my job.

"No," his response confused me a little so I faced Randy. "He's just resting." He went on saying. There was doubt in Randy's voice that made me want to go over there and punch him out. I glanced back at Mr. Monk once again. I knelt down next to him. I whispered his name but he didn't respond. That was weird. Randy said that he was resting but to me he looked like someone who was in a deep coma like state. Did something happen to him that I didn't know about. I was really freaking out now. Just looking at my boss like this was just too weird. I was scared to death. What if he didn't wake up?

I reached down and placed my hands under Mr. Monk's head, his heart was beating steadily and there seemed to be a puff. I wouldn't really call it a breath but I guess it could be one. I let out a sigh of relieve but this didn't answer any of my questions. I thought I heard footsteps coming in the room. I was not only confused but I was mad as hell. Would Randy….? What did he really do to Mr. Monk?

Somehow I managed to find my voice; I just hoped that he didn't noticed how much it was shaking. "What? What really happened to Mr. monk?"

Randy hesitated to tell me, so I asked him again this time more sternly.

"Tell, me. Now!" I placed Mr. Monk head gently back down. "Why is he just laying here?" I guess he could read the fear in my eyes- he hung his head down and wouldn't look at me. I continued to stare at him, trying to break him down. I wanted answers and I wanted them now. He looked more embarrassed then I had ever seen him. I couldn't for the life of me, figure out what was wrong with him. "What did you do to him, Randy? It's like he's comatose."

He sniffed, "I asked Mr. Monk what he wanted for his birthday," he started. The captain came up to us and saw Mr. Monk's body.

"What the hell is going on in here? Why is Monk laying along with candles around?"

"Randy is explaining that right now, aren't you." I got to my feet and walked closer to him. Randy swallowed and nodded.

"Well, I'm waiting." The captain tapped his foot down on the floor making an echoing sound that made Randy jump.

"See, here's what happened," Randy tried to lighten the mood by starting out like that.

He swallowed again before continuing. "Monk came to me, he told me that he wanted his wife back. I told him that I couldn't give him that but I could let him see her."

"You what?" captain yelled, ok maybe not yelled but it sounded like that inside the church.

"I told him, I knew how he could see his wife."

"How Randy?" I asked not knowing how to respond to that.

"I….." he was about to tell us when a voice continued for him.

"He preformed an exorcism on your friend Mr. monk, I think he said his name was." Came a voice from around the corner. A man, dressed in a brown robe with a white rope like belt came up to us.

"A what?" the captain sounded shocked at what he thought he just heard the man say.

"Exorcism," the man repeated as he stepped out into the open area so we could see him. "It's a way to cast out demons from a body but is highly risky thing to do," he pointed at Randy. "Your friend here tried it out on that detective guy." He then pointed to where Mr. Monk was. "To allow him to let's say visit his wife."

"You did what Randy?" I could believe what I was hearing. Why would he do something like this? I mean didn't he know the dangers in something like this? "How could you? And where did you learn to do one?"

"I wanted to……" he hung his head, "to make him happy." he said under his breathe.

"What was that?" captain said now staring at Randy with one of his disappointing stares.

"I just wanted to……" he sniffed and lifted his head. "Give him….something that would make him happy. I read it on the internet and thought….."

"You didn't think, Randy." The captain commented as he turned to look at my response to all of this.

"So what happened to him? Um….." I started to think. "What really happened to him?"

"We don't know, that's the thing. When one performs these, they usually come to….us a professional." I look over at Randy, who starts to turn red.

"Did you kill him?" Randy just shrugged at me. So for all we knew Mr. Monk might be in a coma.


	4. Chapter 4

"Not necessarily," my jaw almost dropped to the floor when that whoever he was said that to us. That man must have noticed my reaction cause he continued on. "He's just….let's say lost----" the man remarked smiling at me. I think that was to help with the fear of my friend but it wasn't helping all the much. It was actually making things worse. Mr. Monk being lost somewhere, now that was scary.

"Lost?" I questioned not really understanding what was really going on here. How can someone be lost without there body?

"Lost where?" the captain wanted to know. I think he was thinking the same thing I was.

"Um….," Was the only response from the man in the robe.

"You don't know," the captain was now concerned. I could tell it in his voice. "So he's out somewhere, we don't know where, all alone."

"That's about the jest of it, yes." robe man looked from one of us to the other.

"How do we get him back?" I swallowed. I was thinking there was no way at all. I just had to have hope that this man knew something to do.

"Well, that's another thing, um….we…." he turned his head towards Mr. Monk, and sighed. "we…."

"You can't bring him back?" Captain glared at Randy who was now fiddling with his hands in his pockets, not looking at anyone of us.

"It's not that simple," pointed at Randy and gave him a mean stare, "that's why we usually don't do these kind of things any more."

"What do you mean anymore?" I had to hear this. What was he going to tell us now? I was hoping that he knew a way out of this situation that we were in.

"Back in the early 1900's my people, we monks used to do them only to get rid of say demons. Not do this for fun." Randy put his head back down. I felt sorry for the guy, he has a big heart but sometimes he doesn't think things though.

"Is there anyway to find him?" captain asked now getting worried that our friend was gone forever and there was nothing we could do for him.

"Well," he sighed. "I'm afraid I can not see any of this ending happily. It's my experience that once spirits are exorcised, they stay that way."

"Does that mean?" the captain lowered his head. I knew that he was about to start to cry, cause I know I was. How could Randy do this to us, to Mr. Monk?

The man dressed in the robe stared at us for a moment. I was watching him. Something in his expression told me he knew that there might be a way, to say go, after Mr. Monk. He sighed and then cleared his throat. "I hate to suggest this but the only way that I can come up with is….."

"Let me guess." The captain responded. "Someone to followed him am I right?" the man just nodded. Great let's do it then. I thought. If there was a way then let's go for it.

"Remember this is just an idea." He called.

"This might be our only chance to make things right." He smiled at me and nodded again. I was excited to learn that there was a way to get him back but at what cost? Did someone have to stay behind? Would we even find him, I mean wherever he went how were we going to find him? I didn't care, I just wanted to find him and help him. That's my job to help him, what make it through life, how is he coping now? Is he with Trudy?

"The thing is that, I don't know anyone who has tried this, well till today," he glanced back at Randy. "So," he sighed and looks up at me. It was like he knew that I would be the one to go. "You need to be prepared for this," he took at deep breath. "I mean, that who ever goes and him." He turned and pointed at Mr. Monk's body, "may not come back. I mean, there is no guarantee that someone will survive this." He said shaking his head.

"We…." Randy finally spoke. "Understand." He blinked. "I'll go, I got us into this mess. I'll fix it."

"Um…..that's not going to happen?" another guy, this one much taller, then the first man, in a robe said coming up to us.

"Why not," Randy wanted to know.

"Well," he started. "You and only you must say the words. For you were the one that brought the evil you are the one to take it away." And with that the taller man left us.

"He's right you know," the other man in the robe said. "You," he pointed to Randy. "Have to say the words again. You have to show me that book that you used."

Everyone looked over at me.

"Me?" I pointed at myself. "Why me?"

"Natalie, you're his assistant aren't you." Now that's the Randy I know. I just shook my head at him.

"Randy's right, I mean, you are the one closest to him."

"Closest? I….."

"She'll do it." Randy walked over to me draping his arm around my shoulder. He just volunteered me. But he was right, Mr. Monk was my responsibility and I just left him alone. If I hadn't….we would be here.


	5. Chapter 5

I couldn't understand what Randy was saying. It was all in a langue I didn't know. It sounded like Latin but I wasn't sure. It sounded nice though, where did he learn that from? Well that was something I didn't know about him. There is all kinds of stuff that I don't know about the people that I work with. I lay on a soft robe that the man let me place under me so I wouldn't get cold. I could still feel the coldness of the tiles through the padding I was on. I didn't care I just wanted to find Mr. Monk, wherever he was.

I looked over at my bosses comatose body, so peaceful, so…..happy. Is that a smile on his lips, he never smiles.

He….I mean his soul must have found some peace where ever he went. Wherever he went….wherever am I going? I only heard of these exorcism things in books never seen one done and now I'm in one, in one to help my boss. I shook my head. Why though. It should be Randy doing this, I mean going instead of me. I should be thinking of a plan on how to find him and not why I should be doing this but I couldn't. I was still kind of scared.

What if I don't find him or get lost myself then….then we are both stuck. Something started happening above my head. A section of the ceiling disappeared and was replaced with all this smoke like stuff.

"Is this supposed to happen," I yelled at Randy who was walking around reading this book.

"Yes," he shouted back. He said some more things in that pretty langue, the smoke curled around my head like a tornado whipping around engulfing me. Then out of nowhere I see the clear sky. Really, stars twinkled above me. I never saw so many stars in my life. I saw the clusters but couldn't name any of them if you asked me to. This sky looked more deep black then the blue one I was used to.

I glanced over at Randy, he looked kind of funny to me. Why does he look funny to me? Something is a bit different. I sat up and realized that only part of me sat up. The rest of me lay there where I was, with my eyes closed lying on the floor right next to Mr. Monk's body. Monk, I wonder if this is what it feels like to be dead? I became two people. Except that only of them was conscience and the other one was unconscious. The others probably couldn't tell the difference.

"Are you alright?" Randy asked looking over at me. "Are you still there?"

"Fine and yes, I'm still here." I answered back but I don't think he could see or hear me anymore. He kept walking around the circle of candles. I looked at my body below me. Wow, that is what I look like, that's neat…I don't get to see that everyday. I placed my hand in front of my face; I looked just the same except now I had a glow to me.

"She doesn't have much time," said the man dressed in brown robe with a hoodey which made him look kind of scary.

"How long does she have?" the captain asked, walking up to Randy.

"Just an hour."

"How am I supposed to find him and get back that quick?" I said this to myself but the hooded man just stared at me, or so I thought he was cause the next thing out of his mouth was..

"If you can grab hold on to this rope." He threw a rope at me, well I had to reach a little for it, so maybe can't really see me. I grabbed the rope, this was the first object I picked up on my new ghostly state.

"Just put this rope on and when you find him, pull on the rope then follow the rope back. Now hurry remember you only have one, I repeat one hour to find him."

"Fifty eight minutes," Randy corrected him. Here, I'm risking my life—because let's face it, that's what I always do. I took a deep breath as my world closed in on me as small and featureless like the inside of an egg. I looked up and saw nothing, nothing at all.

I'm serious there was nothing, no stars just a black hole kind of thing. My feet were swallowed in the swirling mist. A fog not like normal fog though, this one was a thick an ever-moving cold fog. Even my hands scarcely two feet from my face were engulfed in this stuff this so-called fog. I still couldn't see them. This fog seemed to weigh down the air I was taking into my lungs.

The sound of a whispering horn sounded in the far distant but I couldn't tell. Where was I and was this the right place? It looked awful dark and gloomy to me. I felt utterly powerless and to make matters worse, I didn't know where I was going. I just knew that I had to find Mr. Monk, he was counting on me to help him, ok he didn't know that I was coming but Randy and the captain were counting on little ole me to find him and bring him home. That was funny which way is home? I started to walk. I couldn't hear any more sounds, not even my footsteps, but then again do I have any footsteps to be heard? Something was coming toward me. Someone I should say. I couldn't see their feet either. I supposed they had feet.

"What do you want?" he bellowed in a loud voice. "You don't belong here."

"I'm looking for a friend."

"Well, you don't belong here. So go." He stepped closer to me. He was dressed in a long brown robe like suite with a red rope around his midsection. He actually looked just like the one that was helping me. Once again he asked why I was there.

"I'm looking for my friend and boss. He came…up here, are we up?"

"You don't belong here." He shouted again.

"You keep telling me that, why?"

"Unless you have an appointment you are not allowed or welcomed here."

"Appointment, I don't," then it came to me. That I was dead and I guess, that you have to have one too get in. I swallowed, if I was technically dead did that mean that Mr. Monk was also dead? I mean he has been gone longer then I have. So did Randy really kill Mr. Monk?

"You are still not welcome here, Ms. Teeger." The tall man pointed again. "Neither you or your fiend is welcome! Now go from here at once!"

"I'm not leaving without my friend." I shouted back before I could think about what I was saying.

"Have not seen anyone in days," the man said calmer this time but he was still spooky.

"he…and you are not welcome here…only the appointed ones are."

His voice was one the rise again. "Now go before someone sees you." He pointed behind me once again, which meant that he was not kidding and that I should follow his instructions and leave but I could not without out Mr. Monk. I looked the way that he was pointing to my surprise I was looking down a long hallway with doors on both sides.

"How am I going to find him with all of these doors? There are just to many of them and not enough time." I looked back over where I thought the guard was at, but he too was now gone. Vanished without a sound. I was now all-alone. I took a deep breath. I wonder what would happened if I called out his name?

"Mr. Monk, Mr. Monk. Are you there?" I stared to call out. My voice pierced the dead fog stridently, unnaturally loud. I tried not to let that bother me. I shivered not cause I was cold but because what if I don't come back. There is that possibility and without knowing where I'm going makes me worry. Worried a lot. What would happen to Julie and Mr. Monk? I was frighten, no make that terrified out of my mind that this whole situation wouldn't work. I mean come on, someone surviving coming back from the dead how likely is that?


	6. Chapter 6

I heard nothing. How am I supposed to find him unless I start opening some doors? I mean what's behind these doors anyway. Is he behind one of them? Or am I going to find something else. Was there an alternate universes where we could leap from time to another time, like a quantum leap kind of thing or is there going to be a three headed monsters ready to rip me open alive? Am I alive? Then I stopped wondering about all of that when….

Suddenly a breeze pushed through the sullen air, parting the fog, someone in a blue uniform was coming down the hallway towards me. He just materialized from out of nowhere or was he hidden behind the fog, I couldn't tell. It didn't really matter. He was coming towards me. Mitch? I blinked a few times, to be sure that's who I saw. It sure looked like him and his presence alone was turning me on more then it should, I mean this is a ghost of the man that I had once been married too. Maybe I'm feel this way, like my world was turned upside down, was cause it's been so long not having the things I needed.

I shook my head, can't be but sure enough it was. He looked good like the old days. I tried to hold back the tears but I couldn't do it. My emotions were just too strong for me. He looked pretty surprised to see me. I didn't know if it was the fact that I was standing there in what was, I suppose, heaven's waiting room, or it was that I was calling out another man's name.

Whatever it was, he looked pretty shocked. He stood there frozen in his tracks, just staring at me as I was him. Our eyes locked the same as they did way back when we got married. The sparkle in his eyes told me everything. That is what attracted me to him so many years ago. But the last time I'd seen him, of course, it had been a view of his burned up body along with a few others. I couldn't believe I could see him the way that I wanted to remember him, so proud in his uniform. I reached out my hand towards him.

"Mitch." I had to know for sure if that was really him.

"Natalie," he breathed "what are you do…. doing here? Are you…. you're not…. oh Go…" he slapped his hand over his mouth. "Julie…what.."

I caught the meaning of what he was trying to say. "Dead, no, no I'm not and she's fine. Growing up way too fast but fine. Um I came here to find…"

"Mr. Monk."

"How?"

"I heard you calling… I…" Mitch didn't finish what we he was going to say, he just threw his arms around me and started kissing me on the lips. I had no choice but to kiss him back. I mean, we were married at one time, and I was still in love with him. Then he stepped back and stared at me again.

"What?" I asked.

"I just wanted to see your face." He reached up and touched my face. He gently stroked my cheek. He took a deep breath. "I miss you…I…"

My heart started to pound again, wait do I even have heart, I mean I'm a what a ghost myself. Do ghost have hearts? It feels so real to me.

"I have…"

"I know, you have to go and….." to me his voice was filled along with the expression on his face felt like he was jealous.

"Find my boss."

"Do you love him?" he asked staring me in the eyes.

"What?" what kind of question is that and how dare him ask that.

"Do you love him? Do you love your boss?"

"He's different…" that's what I came up with right then, but in my heart. I shook my head. Did I love him, I mean I do care for him but really do I love him? That was the question and a good one. I never really entered into my mind that way.

"You didn't answer my question, do you love him?"

"I care for him." Mitch just rolled his eyes and nodded at me. What did that mean? He didn't believe me and guess what, I don't know that I believe me either. I mean look at the two of us. Mr. Monk and I have been though so much together. We spend almost every waking moment together but that's my job nothing more or is it? I shook my head my head, a tingle shoot up my spine. Could this really be what I need….someone in my life, I mean a new lover.


	7. Chapter 7

"Well, we better go find him then." Mitch took me by the hand and we walked down the long hallway. He told me it would be to dangerous if I opened any of the doors and that he didn't know what would happen if I did. He told me that if I did that something somewhere would change. What ever that meant.

"Why so many doors?" I asked my curiosity got the better of me.

"Just cause there are a of people." A lot of people I thought, or do you mean ghosts.

A little thrill of a different kind skipped through me. Doing something that no one else got to do, I got to see my deceased lover. So why was I complaining so much about all these doors.

We continued looking down the hallway with Mitch checking the doors one by one. He had to…let's just say part of him took a peek inside without opening the doors. He shook his head again and again.

"No sign of him." I asked getting nervous.

"Not yet."

"Well, I don't have much time to find him." I said looking down at the watch that I was given.

"How much longer?"

"Well, about 30 minutes," I was starting to panic. "I'm running out of time."

"Calm down honey, we will find him." He called me honey. I could start to feel more tears well up in my eyes, ready to drop at any moment. I was going to give up when we reached room 100.

"That's an even number he must be in that one," I said.

"Why that one?" Mitch turned to me with a confused look on his face.

"It's an even number, he likes things even."

"Now you tell me." Mitch sounded kind of upset, so I thought I had to explain myself to him. I told him all about Monk and all his phobias.

"I didn't remember this one till….."

"Wow, you work with this guy day in and day out. How do you do it?"

"With a lot of patience, I can say that much."

" I couldn't do it. There's no way I could." He smiled at me. "We have reached room 100, let's just hope that he is in here. I want you to stand there and wait for me to come back out." I tried to protest but he wouldn't hear of it. I knew that he was right. I wasn't even supposed to be here.

"Fine," I pouted like a baby. I wanted to go in there with him. How is Mr. Monk going to take some stranger walking up to him telling him what to do. It's just not going to happen. "But remember to have patience with him." I added just in time.

Mitch just smiles then vanished into the door. I started to pace the floor, what floor I mean there really wasn't one. Anyway I paced back and forth. It sure was talking a long time in there. He must be in there.

Finally after walking back and forth like a hundred times Mitch steps through the door. He was gritting his teeth when he came out. I got excited, and I was worried when I didn't see Mr. Monk with him.

"You were gone a long time, did you find him?" Mitch nodded, which got me thinking there was something wrong. For that was never a good sign when someone didn't just say something.

"I found him but he refuses to come with me."

"Refused, what? Why? Did you tell him that I was here with you?"

"Um…." He swallowed, "he was found with a woman."

"With a woman, Mr. Monk found with a woman, that's impossible…" Natalie couldn't see that happening but then thought about Trudy. "oh no not Trudy."

"Trudy?" Mitch shook his head, "well, she's beautiful." I must have giving him a shocked look. "I sorry but she is…was she?"

"His wife, she…" Natalie sniffed remembering getting the news about Mitch. "She was murdered by a car bomb, her killer never found."

"How terrible, oh now I see why he won't leave her ." he blinked. "Just like." He went on…

Natalie nodded, "yes," I started towards the door, "I have to go get him."

"Wait…"


	8. Chapter 8

"I don't have time." I grabbed for the door handle and started to turn.

"Wait, remember what I said about…." To late, I had already swung open the door. I saw in a green field, some kind of park maybe, Monk lying on a picnic tablecloth with Trudy in his arms. I stepped into the room and felt the grass under my boots. What kind of place is this I wondered, much prettier then out there in the what, the hallway.

Lighting crashed behind Mitch and he jumped out of the way just in time. "Ah…."

Mitch ran towards the door, "run. Lightings coming after us." He ran through the threshold of the door. "Shut the door now." He yelled at me. I slammed it on accident. As I did another lighting bolt crashed down, this time in front of me. The force knocked me to the grassy ground. I had to get to Mr. Monk quick before I was hit with lighting. Is this what Mitch was tiring to warn me about? I hurried across the field towards Mr. Monk, who apparently, did hear us. More lighting followed me. Striking the ground both before me and behind me. I swallowed hard. I was not cut out for running from lighting. When I finally reached Mr. Monk I was out of breath. He looked up at me.

"Natalie?" he questioned. "What are…." Another lighting bolt hit the ground making him jump. "What are you doing here?"

"No time to explain, Mr. Monk but we got to get going." I reached out for his hand and had to pull back quickly just as two bolts shot between us.

"I told…" Mitch started another lecture as he raced to see if we were all right.

"Natalie," I heard Monk cry out.

"Are you ok Mr. Monk?"

"I…." that's all I heard cause a rumbling above me made look up. I don't know how much more a person can look up. Fierce gray clouds started to form one giant cloud.

"Look out," I shouted out. I rolled over to avoid getting hit in the midsection.

"What is that?" I assumed that he was talking about the thing in the sky, that was shooting lighting bolts at us. I couldn't really see him or Trudy cause of the smoke that was caused by the lighting that kept hitting the ground between us.

"It's not good." Trudy said. "This only happens when…."

"When what….." I called out now laying on my stomach with my hands over my head trying to protect myself.

"The balance is broken…"

"Balance, what balance? I don't understand."

"The balance of…." Trudy started.

"Something bad is coming isn't it?" Mr. Monk whined again.

"Yes, we have to get out of here. How much time do we have?" Mitch interrupted.

"Fifteen minutes," I cry out, between my heavy breathing. I never did like lighting and now.

"We will never get out of here." Mr. Monk cried.

"Take my hand Mr. Monk we will." I grabbed one of his hands as he held on to his wife with the other. Lighten struck both us, where our fingers met. Well our souls met, I should say. The pain shot through me and I heard Mr. Monk scream out. We lost of connection as we both fell back. The pain in my arm was intense and I could see a streak of blood. I watched as Mr. Monk grabbed his arm with his hand letting go of Trudy too. I looked down at me own arm. That's going to leave scar.

"I know that it hurts but the pain won't last long." Mitch called out.

Who was he kidding, it still hurt but I guess he knew what he was talking about. "You will heal." He said. "Your soul heals its self."

"You can add yet another fear to your belt Mr. Monk." I joked to him. But it didn't make any of this less real, for either one of us. Then out of nowhere an unseen force blew by taking Monk with it.

"No," we all screamed. Mr. Monk was being dragged away; I could hear the scuffling on his feet.

Going against the windy forces I tried to make my way towards him. I could barely even crawl straight with all the adrenaline attacking my system. All this fear in my body it was taking over my judgment, is that what everyday is like for Mr. Monk, to life like this. To live in fear about….almost everything? How does he do it? How can he survive this way?

I shook my head. The wind was getting stronger by the second.

"I can't see, to much sand in my face."

I could hear rocks falling but where were they falling too. I mean it's not like we are on a mountain or anything. Were we? I guess anything possible I suppose.

More rocks started to fall from all sides of him as he tried to crawl back to us. Lightening was still coming down all around us. To close for me to get comfortable but I wasn't going to give up getting to him.

"Hang on Adrian, I'm coming. I can't reach." Trudy's voice was full of fear as I kept moving forward, blinded by particles of sand and dust.

"What is this?" I asked Mitch, who was also struggling to see anything.

"That's the warning I was giving you earlier something about the balance in here I guess. It's trying to separate who are suppose to be here and the ones that aren't."

"What about me?" I turned my head towards him, "am I?"

"I don't know…maybe you are to…."

"You mean that this force is holding me here and sending him back without any help."

"Help me," Trudy shouted, "He can't hand on much longer." That, motivated us, well me to move faster.

"I can't leave him alone too, he will not survive another day."

"You might not have a choice." Mitch's voice started to trail off. Then I noticed that I was being pulled away from him as well. I don't think so. I said to myself. I wont give up without a fight.

"I'm not going to leave you Mr. Monk." I shouted.

"Hurry, Natalie…I need…..some…."


	9. Chapter 9

I could feel the dirt and rocks cutting me. Do ghost bleed? I sure could feel the pain of some kind of injuries. To what extent I don't know, but I was determent not to stop. With me on my stomach I reach out for him. I'm not long enough. I got to continue. I inched my way to him. I couldn't let him lose me on his birthday. He wouldn't make it. He would end up in a physic ward for sure. Not on my watch he wont. I finally got close enough to touch his fingers.

"I'm here now." I said like he couldn't see me.

I tried to help pull him up, but something kept me from moving him.

"I can't hold on to you." I grunted, as I held on to his hands as tight as I could.

"Then let go of me." He shouted back.

"I wont let you die on me on your birthday."

"He's not the one that's going to die." Mitch shouted at me. "Hold on to him."

"What?" I felt Mitch's hand on my shoulder. "I know that you will not forgive me for what I'm about to do to the two of you but you guys don't belong here right now. I have to do this. I have to let you go."

"What?" I repeated, "I don't understand Mitch."

"This is what I have to do and someday soon you will understand me."

Mitch gave me a soft kiss on the lips then I felt a cold gust go right through me. Has he just walked through me? Mitch, alright Mitch's ghost had done something to me, flipped on a switch, pushed a bottom, something turned on these feelings again. Something deep inside of me, something that I thought I wouldn't feel again but why now, I mean can just seeing him again have done that or was it always there I was just afraid of losing again. This wasn't the best time to be thinking about that right now. Right now I had to hold on to Mr. Monk before it's too late.

"It's time, we have to hurry or she wont make it. Neither one of them will." Trudy said somewhere behind us it sounded like.

"It's time for what, I…." I felt myself being pushed forward. "What are you doing? Mitch, Trudy." I was falling forward off the edge of cliff along with Mr. Monk. "Could Mitch and Trudy be trying to kill us."

"I think they are trying to safe us." that was the last thing that Mr. Monk said as we were both finally push off the edge of the cliff.

"Hold on," I said as we both went tumbling down at a fast speed. Over and over we both went.

I was mesmerized by this chemistry firing between us, ok our souls anyway as we tumbled down, down into the unknown. My eyes locked with his and I could see pure terror in them. More terror then I could ever have. I could also see a glimpse of love, or what I thought to be gratitude with love. I could hear him breathing faster and faster, I just hope that he doesn't go into hysteria on me now. The fall was longer then I remember.


	10. Chapter 10

I landed hard on the floor, with Mr. Monk on top of me, ok his soul.

Still being in this ghost state I felt like all my bones were broken. Was Mr. Monk right about my husband and his wife saving our lives, but if that was the case then why is my body not moving over there.

"Mom," shouted Julie. "Why are you over there and not here." I looked over at her; She was standing next to my body. Oh no we aren't in our bodies but if that is the case then how can she see me? Or can she? Was this just one of her feelings she said she gets? It must be cause Randy and the captain aren't moving towards us.

"Can you see me?"

"Yes,"

"Can they?" I pointed to the captain and to Randy.

"Yes, what, Julie. Whom are you talking to?" Randy asked as he approached Julie.

"No, I guess not." The captain looked around in amazement as well.

"Just thinking out loud I guess, waiting on…" Julie said quickly.

"Here's what I want you to do, you have to get Mr. Monk to his body."

Julie walks over to Mr. Monk. She tries to hold Monk up but he slips right out of her arms.

"Can't."

"Can't what?" the captain called from the lifeless bodies on both Monk and Natalie.

"Can't wait," Julie lied to the captain. Why is it that she can hear me but neither one of them can?

"Go get his body and bring it over to me then. I need our bodies, have the both of them help you. We don't have much time." I struggle to breathe, "We have to hurry."

Julie went over to Randy. They talk some. He just nodded at her so I guess he agreed with her. Randy had Mr. Monk's arms while Julie was holding his legs as they dragged him closer to me.

"What are you two doing?" the captain questions them.

"I think it would be better if we moved them over some." She swallowed, "Out of the circle of fire, I just have this feeling, a deep feeling that it will help them." The captain wasn't so sure about this but with the two of them gaining up on him he just decided to let them do it.

"Alright but,"

"It's not like they are going to feel it." Randy commented.

"Randy," the captain cut his eyes towards Julie.

The captain joined in helping Randy and Julie bringing Monk's body first and then Natalie's.

"There that should do it." Randy and the captain back away from the bodies and they think that Julie was right behind them.

"You have to let go of me Mr. Monk." I shouted.

"I can't." He responded and tightened his grip.

"You can't or you won't." I shouted at him since I knew that the captain and Randy couldn't hear me.

"Both."

"You must." I struggle but I couldn't break free of his grip.

"You must let go of my mother," Julie whispered.

"But what if…" Monk went on.

"Nothing's going to happen to you. Trust me." Julie reassured him.

Julie reaches out and gently as she can rips his hands from mine.

"No!" Monk yells as his soul is being sucked back into his body. Monk thinks that he is dieing. He starts to squirm some.

"Monk," shouted the captain, as he ran toward him. Julie tries to calm Mr. Monk.

"I told you that you would be ok." She told him, smiling. Monk patted him self down from his chest to his legs. "I'm…"

"Your back." Randy calls after he notices the captain in now across the room.

"That's a relieve." Monk notices that there is something wrong when everyone looks over at Natalie who was not moving.


	11. Chapter 11

"Natalie, Natalie, wake up." Monk cries as he moves over to me. He starts to shake me some. Still I don't move.

"Mom, don't die on me, not you too." Julie screams and runs up to the captain, wraps her arms around his midsection and buries her face into him. She starts sobbing. He pats her on the back.

"Everything is going to be ok sweetie. Your mother is resting," he lied there. I was, well how do I put this detached from my soul. "She will be fine you will see."

Monk lifts my head, which stuns both the captain and Randy. Monk pushes my head closer to him. Both of them see a tear slid down his face as he rest his head down on mine.

"Is he crying?" Randy asked still staring at Monk.

"Yeah he is."

"I don't think I've ever seen him cry before."

The captain sighs, the only time the captain can remember Monk crying was the day that his wife was killed. He cried for days and days. The captain just shook his head so he wouldn't start crying too. He had to be strong for Julie. Julie looks up at me then where my body is still lying there with my ghostly soul next to it. She took a deep breath and sniffs.

Monk lifts his head some, then rubs his hand down my face.

"Natalie," he whispers. "Don't die on me, I can't lose you too, not like this. Not on my birthday. I…" he sighs, "I lo…care for you too much…."

What did he just say? He lo…cares that's not what he was going to say but I'll take it cause I think I love him too. I slowly stir, my head still hurts well actually all of me hurts. I look over at my body. Is this what Mitch was trying to tell me? That something bad was going to happen. My death, is that what he was warning me about? I blink eyes, if it was, then how can I still see Mr. Monk looking down at me. Then I feel a pull and I hear a snap.

"Mom…." Julie yelled. "I…" she grabbed me around the neck, "I love you." She whispered. I blinked my eyes again.

"I love you." I looked at the three men there. Well, at best I can. My eyes were watery. "I love all of you." There I admitted it. I admitted to myself that I did love them. But was there more to this….

Monk held on to me for a few more moments,

"I thought…" he sniffed.

"That I was going to leave you too." I finished for him.

He nodded. "I….." he breathed in deeply. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Me neither." I smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

Later that night when we all got back to the station, Monk told everyone about how he spent the day with his Trudy. Yes that's how he put it, his Trudy.

"That was the best gift that you could have given me Randy."

"Even if it almost got you killed."

"It was well worth it," he smiled. "It meant more than you will ever know." As Mr. Monk went on and on, I got up to refill my drink. I saw Julie in the kitchen taking something out of a bag.

"What's that?" she put her finger up to her mouth.

"It's a cake for Mr. Monk." She whispered.

"Where?"

"I made it earlier."

"How did you know?"

"I followed you to the church."

"You what?….you were…."

"I know but you looked upset so I had the neighbors follow you. I heard Randy say that it was his birthday and then I saw the captain. So I came back here."

"So you wouldn't get caught."

"Where did Natalie go?" I heard Mr. Monk's voice call out in surprise.

"I'm right here." I came back into the room carrying the cake that Julie made.

"It's not a birthday without a cake." I stated looking at his face. I knew that he didn't want people to do anything for him on his birthday but I didn't think he would mind this.

"Cake?"

"Homemade cake that is." Julie responded smiling.

"But…." He tried to protest but the captain didn't want to hear it.

"Just eat some of it and enjoy this moment." The captain told him as he reached for the cake that I was holding and winked. "I know that I will."

The end. Please read and review. Thanks

Missteff


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